I was an excellent swimmer that has gone by the wayside only to try again sue to a desire to get involved in Tri's in 2006. It is not uncommon to "get tired" after a short distance if you are a beginner. Instead of jumping right into a continuous swim try doing sets. Don't go into a pool and try to swim 500, 600 or 1,000 yards. Do ten sets of 100 yards. If you cant do them, do 20 sets of 50 yards. Get a base built up (after all, did you go out and run a 10k your very first day of running?). After a while reduce the time you are taking between sets and increase your effort during the set. Also, forget the bilateral breathing...it's overrated (unless you really need to be able to see the people swimming beside you on both sides).

I tried reading the Total Immersion book and though I have not completed it, I don't feel it helped me much. I understand it and probably don't do everything properly, I feel I still need a coach to watch me swim. I am a strong swimmer having been a scuba diver since I was very young I never swam on the surface because I felt uneasy- the breathing thing. My first Tri was a 900 meter swim in open water- a small lake, no wind. I just had LASIK so I could see well enough to do the sports I love like running and scuba and I was determined to learn to swim on my own if I DIED-TRI-ING. Needless to say after my fourth year of doing tri's I am a much better swimmer, though not fast, simply because I am more comfortable in the water with my breathing. In fact I just picked a day and said to myself I was going to swim until I couldn't swim any more. I started out slowly on the pool and just relaxed. I didn't count laps or worry about time I just swam, and swam and swam some more. After about an hour and a half of swimming I stopped just because I had other things to do. I wasn't even tried and felt fine. My first attempts at swimming the first tri I could only swim about 50 yards freestyle before I became too tired (winded). My method was to swim as far as I could freestyle,switch to breast stroke about the same distance or until I felt rested and then swim freestyle again repeating the same way. The first year I never swam the whole distance freestyle.Some times I would do a short distance breast stroke just to relax my breathing. Now I don't want to do anything but freestyle. I watch the other swimmers at the pool and some look as though they are barely moving their arms and I think surely I am much faster but I swim against them and they will beat me everytime. Just relax and try to learn your technique without regard to speed. Technique and repetition is the only way you will get faster. And remember if you can't beat'em in the swim- kick their butts in the bike or run. There is a 64 yr old lady I can beat in the run or swim, but she flat out knocks my face in the dirt on the bike and I feel like I'm a fairly strong cyclist. Sorry my entry was so loNg but I thought maybe just some good ole' encouragement might prove better than specifics. Good luck and remember,RUN, WALK or CRAWL but DO IT !!!!

I am registered for my first trialthlon in May, 06 and swimming has been the toughest training. I did hire a Total Immersion coach and worked with her for 5 sessions. I dont have anything to compare it to, because I am a brand new swimmer. I can say the way they teach gives you time to rest and breath as you swim until you build your endurance/breating rythym without stopping. Getting exhausted has been a huge setback for me, but I believe it is about lots of training. I plan to buy the Total Immersion book and DVD to keep improving, as a private coach is a little pricey!

I've been doing triathlons off and on for almost 20 years. I was always pretty strong in the bike and run but routinely came out of the water in the bottom third no matter how hard I trained in the pool. Then I got involved one year with a Masters swim team. The coach taught me bilateral breathing, flip turns and technique. I found it incredibly tiring to swim with good form initially, but adapted to it as I improved. I got "Total Immersion" and routinely do the balance drills. Now I come out of the water in the top 20% of the swimmers and often place in my age group. Don't listen to people who say the swim isn't important - if you're a good swimmer you'll not only gain time but also be fresher for the bike. I don't think that you'll ever make progress without some coaching because swimming is ALL about technique.

Other comments: I compete in the North and wetsuits are usually permitted. I go a LOT faster in a wetsuit - I'm so buoyant I feel like I'm just laying on top of the water.

Finally, in the swim you should absolutely try to draft off someone else - just make sure they aren't slower than you! Drafting is illegal on the bike but perfectly legal in the swim and the effect is more pronounced. I try to find someone to draft off of, even if for short distances, during every race that I enter.

Total immersion DVD or video, the book is awesome too, go to your local library if you don't want to buy them and check them out. My scenario was yours too, I recently completed my first triathlon and wished I'd seen the Total Immersion series. There are even weekend courses in major cities, just go to their web-site. I can't tell enough people about the benefits of this system, don't skip on the basic skills, you will swim for miles after this and love open water too.

I have read some of the recomendations given, and all are valid because there are so many reasons for which you could feel out of breath while swimming free style, especially begining a race in open water.

Ofcourse you must train correctly, style, drills, keep reading about it and tips, etc... Since you say swimming was never your thing... efficient swimming where you are relaxed and learn to glide with every stroke, breathe in a relaxed form, etc... is ussually found in swimmers that have learned and trained correct technique since childhood, like in many other sports. It will probably take longer for you to improve, but you must train adecuately, you were suggested some good drills of touching your hands together in front and rowing one arm at the time... also train slowly in the pool, breathing every 6 strokes, then every 8, etc... try to glide, you should have an experienced trainer to help you out to train according to your personal objectives.

Sometimes there are no shortcuts... you need time for adding and adding kilometers of swimming to your body thru time, and also experience in races, finding or discovering your mistakes, finding your pace, etc...

George

I strongly encourage you to seek out a Masters swim group in your area. The swimmers are at all levels. If you find a group with a good coach, especially for newbies, you will see huge gains in your swimming ability.

Swimming is all about technic. You can read books, watch videos and all the other good stuff, but nothing beats a good coach and constant repetitions.

Don't get discouraged, progress is slow but steady.

I highly recommend the Total Immersion books as well (it doesn't matter which - they basically cover the same technique). Two years ago, I was in the same situation as you have described. Bought the book, did the drills (although I definitely did not overstress the swim practice) and have since then gained a technique that allows for steady swimming without "toasting" myself. To polish it off, I also took a weekend's course with a Total Immersion trainer, which obviously was even more efficient as you have the feedback on how you are executing the drills, the stroke etc. If too expensive, the book would do it on its own. In this case, I think you should have somebody film your swim excercises to be able to correct any flaws.